Charge 2 by Fitbit has new features to continuously and automatically detect when you’re active and display statistics for you to monitor your own health, hassle-free.

The 24-hour monitoring also allows the tracker to recognise when you’ve been sedentary for too long: Charge 2 sends you Reminders to Move and urges you to take 250 steps every hour, which is equivalent to a few minutes of walking.

This helps you fight the sitting disease, a condition that affects 95% of office workers in Singapore and is the breeding ground for cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and other health problems.

Additionally, Charge 2 is smart enough to buzz you only when you’re inactive so your day isn’t disrupted by unnecessary notifications.

Its ability to immediately switch off these notifications when you’re asleep is aligned with yet another automatic and continuous monitoring feature to support you in getting more restful nights.

With Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights, you can gain more awareness on the quality of your rest at the touch of an App.

This could be useful in helping you detect insomnia, irregular sleep patterns and other sleep problems so you can decide if you want to seek proper medical care.

The benefits of an ever-vigilant monitoring system further extend into the realm of mental health.

You can thus effectively reduce your blood pressure, stress and anxiety in a way that is customised to your body’s natural breathing patterns.

Charge 2 gives you greater freedom over when and how to take charge of your health with its highly personalised features. Only a device that knows you, your lifestyle and your habits can adapt to what you need, as opposed to having a one-size-fits-all approach.

But Charge 2 can only be your health companion.

It cannot exercise for you, nor force you to work out.

If you’re ready to commit to a healthier mind and body, Charge 2 will make it easier by giving you customised tools to keep track of your health.

]]>Tue, 10 Jul 2018 10:16:50 GMThttp://www.sherminong.com/blog/you-are-not-your-business-facing-the-shame-of-uncertaintyA version of this article was published on e27.co. Woohoo!

Hey, you.

There’s something about you that inspires me.

Your vision to change the way people live.

Your desire to make things faster.

Easier.

Better.

All for a bunch of strangers who will probably never utter a word of thanks.

Meanwhile, the people who know you raise eyebrows at your ideas.

They’re boasting a stable, 4-figure monthly income or more as you try to convince them that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life when you don’t even know when your first (or next) dollar will be.

Who in their right mind would choose to be an entrepreneur?

Why would anyone voluntarily accept the longer work hours, fewer weekends and holidays, more responsibility, chronic uncertainty, greater personal risk and struggle … instead of the security and long term rewards of having a career?

It’s the only reason you’re still forging your own path despite the crushing stress and anxiety.

That’s amazing.

​The world needs your creativity. It just doesn’t know this yet.

You gotta keep doing what you’re doing for as long as possible until the world pauses to take notice.

That also means finding a way to tune out the shame of uncertainty that the world keeps piling on you.

The Shame of Uncertainty

From parents to partners to friends to relatives to ex-colleagues, there’s paradoxical pressure to look as if you’ve got it all figured out, even when you’re trying something that no one has ever heard of.Any change in plans is often met with criticism and judgement because it’s so costly.Invested money, time and energy go to waste. Partnerships end. Businesses close.This slew of “failures” could turn into a recipe for brooding shame that sends you scurrying back into tried-and-tested spaces.But before you single-handedly deny the world of groundbreaking innovations, realise that with every change in direction and every jump into a new unknown, there’s greater clarity on why you’re doing what you do and how to do it better.Separating your life purpose from your business venture keeps you focused on the big picture so you can stop punishing yourself for changing plans along the way.

Separate Your Life Purpose from Your Business Venture

Your life purpose is the reason you get up every morning.

It is the essence of your business venture and has you so fired up that you’re sacrificing sleep, social life and sustenance just to keep venturing. You’re not sure if you can keep this up for long.

While your venture is emotionally satisfying, how can you adjust it to become financially and mentally sustainable? And if you can’t, what alternatives are there to your venture?

Emotionally: Do you feel a deep, long-lasting sense of fulfilment and purpose from your venture?Financially: Are you earning enough for immediate (food, housing, clothes etc.), short-term (healthcare, bills, insurance, debt, vacations etc.) and long-term needs (savings, investments etc.)?Mentally: Can you keep up with the pace of work for weeks, months and years without chronically losing sleep, severely changing your appetite or mood or damaging your relationships in the long-run?

Modifying your plans repeatedly might invite criticism and judgement from those around you but it is necessary for self-preservation.

No one knows what you need as intimately as you do.

And the world benefits from you fulfilling your life purpose for as long as possible, in whatever form.

To borrow the concept of ikigai, a Japanese term that translates to ‘reason for being’, my career as a Life Scientist would’ve looked like this:

I would’ve raked in big bucks but I hated how repetitive and isolating the work was.

It was also stressful to be good enough to escape detection, but sucky enough to make mistakes.

(My professor still doesn’t know that with one careless squeeze of the micropipette, I plunged ~USD $400 worth of transfected Chinese Hamster Ovary cells into the waste bin.)

But most of all, my work didn’t move me emotionally. I was sure I wouldn’t be able to stick it out beyond my undergraduate years, let alone for life.

So I jumped into acting and playwriting:

Starting conversations with people on delicate topics - from mental conditions to racism to LGBTQIA+ issues - brought me endless joy, especially if they thought about and/or lived life differently. This was my life purpose.

Except I didn’t have the years of rigorous training that my peers from art schools did, nor could I afford it.

Every day I wondered if I was good enough to be hired, which fed a baseline level of anxiety that sapped me of my interest in other aspects of life.

So I jumped again into healthcare and medtech blogging:

I’ve been tapping on my Life Sciences knowledge and the creativity honed from my artistic venture to nourish my work.

By breaking down science into simple, readable English so people understand why they need a certain product or service, I’m also fulfilling my life purpose of inspiring people to think about and/or live life differently.

Being in full control of my schedule lets me fit in downtime to maintain my mental fitness.

While it's still too early to tell if the world will pay enough for my services, you bet that this venture is the closest I’ve ever been to fulfilling my life purpose in a way that’s emotionally, financially and mentally sustainable.

The Big Picture: You are Not Your Business

It was hard to ignore people’s judgements that I was being indecisive and frivolous when I repeatedly changed industries, with each switch marking the previous venture as a failure.

The internal shame only stopped when I reminded myself that, with each jump, I was getting closer and closer to doing something that’s practical and satisfying in the long run.

Similarly, the way you’re running your business is probably your best shot at fulfilling your life purpose indefinitely.

Tweak things to sustain yourself while working on your venture; try something new.

You are not your business.

You’re pooling all the relationships you’ve ever formed, the skills you’ve picked up and your experiences into your new ventures - just like how my Life Sciences knowledge and artistic pursuits turned out to be useful.

How is any of this shameful, or a failure?

Seems like people only say that to try and curtail your behaviour because they don’t know what drives you as deeply as you do.

Forgive them.

They can’t ever know it.

Focus on fulfilling your life purpose for as long as possible instead.

I’ll be waiting to see what brilliant things you bring.

View a version of this article on e27.co, or check it out on my LinkedIn page:

]]>Sun, 17 Jun 2018 01:14:24 GMThttp://www.sherminong.com/blog/infographic-t2dm-risksHere's an infographic with the same purpose of (gently) coaxing readers into being aware of their risks for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as before.

Click the image below to enlarge!

At only 315 words, it's an example of a short and snappy blog post that would grab the attention of your readers right off the bat.

Granted, there's less space to go in-depth into a topic, so it's best to use infographics when you have a small, simple and clear message to deliver.

Considering that I'd never had any formal training in the theatre - not even in a secondary school speech and drama club - winning the award shows how fast I can learn things that are unfamiliar to me.

Grasping science concepts that I haven't come across during my Life Sciences undergraduate years will definitely be much easier to do with online research tools, as compared to writing creatively about a topic as delicate as depression.

And putting it out there for the world to judge.

Literally.

As part of a competition.

Amidst seasoned actors/playwrights.

Without passing out.

You can find my script below. And if you're looking to produce a short film or video, feel free to reach out. I'd be happy to write and/or act for you!

Room For Depression ScriptPlaywright: Shermin OngSynopsis: Janice discovers that her friend, Jacelyn, has been a b*@#$)@ to her sister with depression and reveals that she also has the mental condition.

JANICE: Stop trying to defend yourself.

When your sister tells you she wants to kill herself and you do nothing to help her - you even call it an empty threat - what does it say about you? You want her to jump off a building before you take her seriously?

And now you've caught her cutting you call her an attention whore. Well, guess what Jacelyn? Remember how I told you this was stretch marks? They're not. I am just like your sister.

That day you told me I was gold standard for depression. Yes, I can go for class, I can I can meet my friends, but that does not mean I am not permanently suicidal. It does not mean I don't hear that static in my head every day, hoping for some fucking car to hit me.

Worthy? I'm worthy and your sister is not? Jacelyn, we've been friends for 10 years and I want to remember you as the brave, strong and kind woman that you are, and if I'm lucky you’ll find some good left in me too.

It's been nice knowing you. Do me a favour, okay? Get out there and live life for me.

p.s. If you're keen on participating in the competition, keep your eyes peeled for the 2019 iteration.

It'll be great fun, and you don't need to have any experience. Kamil Haque, the acting coach and organiser of the competition, is a really warm and friendly guy who'd be guiding you.

We all start somewhere, and I know took away a lot more than I had expected - new friendships, writing capabilities and nerves of steel.

Give it a shot!

]]>Mon, 04 Jun 2018 05:38:12 GMThttp://www.sherminong.com/blog/blastocystis-mock-newspaper-article-2014After an interview with A/P Kevin Tan S. W. from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the National University of Singapore (NUS), I produced this mock newspaper article on an intestinal parasite, Blastocystis.

Click on the images below to download a PDF version, or read the transcript at the bottom of this post!

This article is an example of a more formal tone I can adopt for your blog.

But if you prefer a conversational style of blog writing, find my sample here.

Transcript of Blastocystis Mock Newspaper Article:

FRIDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2014Busting a gut to identify intestinal parasiteLocal scientists discover virulent strains of intestinal parasite Blastocystis, paving the way for more effective diagnosis and treatment worldwide

Imagine having a bad case of diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea. You take a trip to the doctor’s office, only to have him prescribe you a myriad of drugs which do little to alleviate your pain.

Such a scenario is faced by people afflicted with Blastocystis infections globally. According to the World Health Organisation, prevalence rates of this intestinal parasite are between 2% and 50%, with higher rates observed in less developed countries with poor sanitation and hygiene. Even in Singapore, Associate Professor Kevin Tan Shyong Wei from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in the National University of Singapore estimates that 1 in 20 Singaporeans are infected by Blastocystis.

(Image caption) Blastocystis viewed with a special microscope. One in 20 Singaporeans are infected by this intestinal parasite, according to A/P Tan. IMAGE: MEDICAL-LABS.NET

Despite its pervasiveness, effective diagnosisand treatment of its symptoms are virtually non-existent. A/P Tan explains that most researchers and clinicians do not understand that Blastocystis is made up of different species comprising multiple subtypes or subgroups, of which there are strains with varying disease-causing abilities.

“Even when people are colonised with Blastocystis, some may display symptoms and some may not, for reasons that are not so clear,” adds A/P Tan. Of all the Singaporeans who harbour the parasite, an even smaller percentage manifest symptoms, he says. This has prevented researchers and clinicians from reaching a consensus on whether and how Blastocystis causes disease, thereby making diagnosis and treatment difficult.

Nevertheless, all is not lost as A/P Tan has assembled a team of researchers in NUS to study Blastocystis’ disease-causing abilities by identifying virulent strains. He has currently found such a strain in Blastocystis subtype 7, one of the parasite’s subgroups. A/P Tan believes this strain is causing infections globally, including in Singapore, and that it manifests symptoms like diarrhoea and vomiting.

Previous research has generally not distinguished between the different strains of Blastocystis. If A/P Tan can convince other researchers that Blastocystis causes disease depending on which strain infects humans, his work could encourage researchers to identify other virulent strains. This could set the stage for more effective, strain-specific drug design in the future.

Attempts to show which strain of Blastocystis truly causes disease are fraught with technical problems. A/P Tan would ideally be able to isolate the strain from Blastocystis subtype 7 from diseased laboratory mice, infect healthy mice and confirm that it is the same strain causing the disease in both cases. Yet because Blastocystis can only obtained from stool samples, other micro-organisms which are present could also be said to be causing the disease.

“When I infect another mouse with this strain of Blastocystis, I’m also introducing a lot of other things that may be the cause of its diarrhoea and not Blastocystis,” explains A/P Tan.

Indeed, current research and diagnosis strategies are largely limited to examining patients’ stool samples for the parasite or its eggs, which is unconvincing in showing that Blastocystis is the cause of disease in the presence of other micro-organisms. This has hampered clinical treatment.

A/P Tan has worked around this problem by injecting a diseased mouse’s fecal matter containing Blastocystis directly into a healthy mouse’s intestines. Even if the healthy mouse’s stool sample contains other micro-organisms, they are unlikely to be responsible for the disease since the mouse was healthy before the injection. “If the healthy mouse gets diarrhoea, then we can show that it is Blastocystis in the fecal matter from the diseased mouse that is causing the diarrhoea,” reasons A/P Tan.

Even then, A/P Tan doubts that the scientific and medical community will be readily convinced. “Science, by nature, is a very social endeavour. Even if I make this seminal discovery, the world would pay attention, but people wouldn’t be convinced until others have shown similar results.”

A/P Tan nevertheless believes “this project would definitely be a breakthrough” as it would be the first to pinpoint a virulent strain of Blastocystis.

Written By: Shermin Ong

]]>Fri, 01 Jun 2018 09:18:38 GMThttp://www.sherminong.com/blog/prediabetes-t2dm-risksAfter 51 years of relative peace, Singapore is at war. This time it's with diabetes [1].

A taskforce has been unleashing a salvo of initiatives since 2016 [2]. Fellow citizens young and old have convened and plotted ways to fight this abomination [3]. A Guardian of Health, adroit as she is in Chinese martial arts, has sliced thousands ofbak kwafrom greedy hands with sugar defeating darts.

Enter you. You’re indifferent to this strife, idly munching on the figurative and/or literal popcorn as you watch the drama unfold.

Chances are, you belong to one of two categories:

Category 1: The Courageous PrediabeticYour doctor has diagnosed you with prediabetes:

Prediabetes: a condition where your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but lower than diabetes thresholds [4].

You might have been scared into abstaining from your daily cup of teh c for two weeks, but your worry has evaporated. Your resolve has solidified. You’re officially back to your old ways, washing away any fear of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with that sweet, sweet tea.

Category 2: The Confident Non-prediabeticYou’re not prediabetic, so you’re pretty sure that you’re far from the clutches of T2DM. Or, at least, your doctor didn’t say anything about T2DM and was more concerned about the flu you were having. You don’t remember the last time you went for a health screening precisely because you never thought you needed one.

In either case, your body doesn’t feel bad, which makes you think you’ve got the time and the means to continue your lifestyle.

But how much time do you have until that pesky T2DM sneaks in?

It's probably wiser to learn more about your risks first. That way, you can keep an eye on T2DM and make sure it doesn’t come smack you in the face while you’re busy gorging on roti prata.

T2DM Risks for Category 1: The Courageous PrediabeticIf you’re prediabetic, you could probably relate to my mum attempting to defy all odds of T2DM. This might include stirring sugar into your tea vehemently with rationalisations such as:

“Prediabetes is not diabetes. “Pre”, what. Means ‘not yet’.”

“The doctor never give me medicine or injections, so it’s not that bad.”

Ah.

This is exactly why some doctors and researchers have frowned upon using the term ‘prediabetes’. It downplays the severity of having higher-than-normal blood glucose levels, considering how many people with prediabetes do eventually get T2DM [5].

In Singapore, about 1 in 3 prediabetics will progress to T2DM within 8 years [4].

But wait, you say. Don’t try to cheat me.

You’ve dutifully done your research and found articles stating that, according to a team of British and American researchers, many people with prediabetes won’t develop T2DM [6], [7]. It’s simply a case of doctors being too eager to diagnose.

Well, not quite.

What these articles don’t mention is the context of the research. In 2003, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) relaxed one of the diagnostic criteria for prediabetes, thus implicating throngs of people that may not all have the same, significant risk for T2DM [8], [9].

Diagnostic Criterion for Prediabetes

American Diabetes Association (ADA)

World Health Organisation (WHO)

Impaired Fasting Glucose (mmol/L)

5.6 to 6.9

6.1 to 6.9

One of ADA's diagnostic criteria for prediabetes has a lower threshold than that of WHO.

That’s what the researchers are referring to when they say that the diagnosis of prediabetes isn’t helpful: using ADA’s criteria would unnecessarily increase the prevalence of prediabetes and cause an epidemic.

(Un)fortunately for us, Singapore adopts WHO’s more stringent diagnostic criteria for prediabetes, which are more accurate predictors of those at a higher risk of developing T2DM [10].

Meaning if your doctor tells you that you have prediabetes, it is a cause for concern!

In fact, if you share other risk factors as the people in Category 2 as outlined below, your risks for T2DM are further amplified.

T2DM Risks for Category 2: The Confident Non-prediabeticSince there’s a category of people with prediabetes, surely you, free from such a diagnosis, are at least one degree further away from getting T2DM.

For the love of ice kachang, I really wish I could say that’s the case. But alas, having prediabetes is just one of the risk factors. Other factors may put you at equal risk of developing T2DM, including [5]:

Family HistoryResearchers have already identified at least four genes which allow T2DM to be passed down from one generation to the next [11]. So if you have a parent or sibling with T2DM, you’re at higher risk of developing it yourself.

Body Mass Index (BMI)Having a BMI of 23 and above puts you at moderate risk of getting T2DM, while anything above a BMI of 27.5 constitutes high risk [12].

BMI Values (kg/m^2)

Risk of T2DM

More than 27.5

High

23 to 27.4

Moderate

18.5 to 22.9

Low

Singapore's BMI classifications [12].

But wait, you say. Don’t try to cheat me again.

You’re 1.65m tall and weigh 62.6 kg. Sure, that’s not exactly stick thin, but your BMI of 23 places you within the normal weight range. Aren’t overweight and obese people the ones who should be worried about T2DM [13]?

BMI Values(kg/m^2)

Weight Classification

Risk of T2DM

More than 30

Obese

High

25 to 29.9

Overweight

Moderate

18.5 to 24.9

Normal

Low

WHO's BMI classifications [12].

Turns out, us Asians have different associations between BMI, body fat percentage and T2DM risks than the ones gleaned from WHO’s BMI classifications. WHO itself has agreed that there’s been high prevalence of T2DM in Asia where the average BMI falls below the cut-off point of 25 kg/m^2 for its overweight category [14]. This could be because we tend to store 3 to 4% more body fat than Caucasians for the same BMI [15], making us comparatively more susceptible to T2DM.

That sucks, huh? Lemme add one final sprinkle of salt to your wounds.

AgeYou’ve heard that the older you get, the higher your chances of developing T2DM. Again, this trend mostly applies to those of European lineage [16].

Over here, about 1 in 3 people with T2DM develop the condition before hitting 40 years old [17]! According to Dr Goh Su-Yen, the Senior Consultant and Head of Department of Endocrinology at Singapore General Hospital:

The average age that diabetes was diagnosed in this group was 30. That’s quite young. … When diabetes is diagnosed at a younger age, it means the patient would be living longer with diabetes.

Which only means that you’ve gotta be mindful of T2DM - the sooner, the better.

T2DM, So What?Statistics are worrying. The outlook is bleak. Snack aisles lie abandoned, save for one lone wolf hoarding chips.

Maybe, you venture. Just maybe, it doesn’t matter if I get T2DM so long as I can live with it. What’s the worst that can happen, right?

Alright, you asked for it. Let’s find out.

Signs and Symptoms of T2DMThese include [18]:

Blurred vision

Slow-healing wounds and frequent infections

Excessive thirst and urination

Fatigue

I mean, I guess you could avoid driving. Don’t bump into chairs or cut yourself. Shift your bedroom into your bathroom. What else is there to fret about, right?

Retinopathy (Eye Disease). It’s the leading causes of adult blindness in Singapore [21].

Neuropathy (Nerve Disorder). 1 out of 5 diabetic patients develop foot ulcers, stemming from numbness and loss of sensation. These precede 85% of major amputations (above the ankle and below the hip) [22].

Yikes! This is serious. Granted, not all T2DM patients will develop these complications, but I sincerely hope you’re not gonna take your chances. Might as well play it safe, eh.

Ugh, But How?I know how horribly low motivation can be, so I’m only gonna talk about the simplest ways to start managing your risks of developing T2DM.

Old (Dietary) Habits Die HardLet’s face it. Completely staving off desserts is impossible if you’ve got a sweet tooth, or if you’re just too used to having a soft drink with your meal.

What you can do is reduce the amount and the frequency at which you consume your vice. If your habit has been to have two scoops of ice cream every week, try cutting it down to one scoop a week (and maybe share the sugar - er, I mean, love - with your friends and family). Then when you’re ready, drop it to once a fortnight. Once in three weeks. Once a month, and so forth. It’s better than nothing.

Same thing for your starchy staples. If you’re used to eating white rice, which has a sky-high glycemic index (GI) of at least 70, why not try mixing it with lower GI alternatives like brown rice or basmati rice if you can’t make a thorough switch? The lower the GI of the food, the less your blood glucose level spikes after consumption [23].

Personally, I haven’t had a food coma since switching to brown rice, so the 20-30 minutes I used to spend napping post-meal can now be devoted to other things. Yay!

I've also been able to eat smaller portions and stay full longer.

An example of my meal portion. Bye bye, sky-high GI!

Get MovingDoing 100 reps of push-ups and sit-ups alone at home is … well, repetitive, and boring. Entice your friends and family with a weekly game of badminton or jogging session; take it as an covert apology for stuffing them with your ice cream earlier. Agreeing to exercise together holds you both accountable for each other, so you’re way more likely to sustain your schedule.

Or if you’ve just missed your bus, why not walk? This suggestion is especially relevant if you live one kilometre away from the MRT and the frequency of the only bus in your area is fifteen freaking minutes --

But I digress.

Yes. In the sweltering heat of Singapore, arm yourself with an umbrella and hit the road.

And if you’re worried about people mocking you for resembling an auntie, simply look them dead in the eye, declare your status as a diabetes infantry trooper, and carry on.

A little goes a long way in using up that blood glucose.

$5 Health Screening!For the price of one plate of rojak, you’ll be offered a health screening by the Health Promotion Board if you’re found to be at risk of diabetes through their diabetes risk assessment tool, which you can take here.

The assessment tool is totally free, only seven questions long, and takes two minutes to answer!

To Fight, or Not to FightCongratulations! You’re now more aware of your risks of developing T2DM, regardless of whether you were a courageous prediabetic or confident non-prediabetic.

If you choose to continue in your ways, then please stay alert. Keep monitoring for signs of T2DM’s presence.

But if you decide to take up arms against our national enemy, then I wish you the best of luck.